I couldn’t think where to start
As I step back from the wall and see the two plates, the patterned design tumbling from one to the next, I feel a surge of pride. Not only because my modern take on traditional vintage ceramics has caught the eye of a top-designer, but because – at the age of 59 – I’ve found creative fulfilment.
Having always been a self-confessed ‘nosy parker,’ my original career suited me down to the ground: at 21 I trained as a market researcher and never looked back. It was fun to learn what makes people tick.
Eventually, I formed my own company, and latterly worked as an independent consultant. But, over time, I yearned for something different. With my sons, Alex, now 24, and Ollie, now 21, grown-up, there were
Passion for plates
I’d always loved vintage plates; I’m also a great lover of old advertising memorabilia and vintage pictures. One day in 2014, during a walk around an antiques market, something clicked – I’d previously done a course on ‘decoupage,’ where you apply paper in layers to furniture or objects, and I wondered whether I could give vintage plates a modern twist.
It started off as an experiment, but
I really enjoyed it.
I lay awake at night thinking about the design for my next plate – and realised
I was feeling more passionate and driven by the experience than I had been by anything for ages
After a while, I built up my confidence and sold designs at craft markets. And during the second of these – in Highgate in January 2015 – something amazing happened. A man hovering at my stall asked if I ever accept commissions. He was working with Ted Baker on a Bournemouth hotel and wanted to use my plates in the décor! I was both flattered and stunned – even more so when Ted (whose real name is Ray) requested some for his home!
The same month I made the leap into designing plates full-time and it’s been wonderful.
My husband,
Steven, 59, has been supportive throughout.
It’s early days, but I’ve set a personal target to create the ‘best dressed walls in town’ and I’ve been described as a ‘secret Banksy of the vintage plate world’ but – for me – the biggest reward is seeing how my designs make people smile.